When You're Gone
by Arrin
Summary: Dandin and Mariel are married and have a newborn son, everything is perfect...or so it seems....please R&R...I need feedback...


Authours Note: Well, here it is, it's finally finished. It's the first in what looks like to be a series or something. anyway, enjoy!  
  
Dandin raced ahead of Mariel, his foot paws pounding against the woodland floor. He laughed as he heard Mariel call out from behind him.  
  
"Ooh! Wait 'til I get my paws on you, you great lump of a mouse!" Dandin laughed once again.  
  
"You gotta catch me first dozy-paws." Mariel grinned and put on an extra burst of speed. finally, she pounced, tackling Dandin to the ground. She smiled to herself, snuggling up against Dandin's warm body.  
  
"You're it..."  
  
"Why you little!" In one swift movement, Dandin flipped her onto her back, tickling her sides. Mariel giggled and squirmed, trying to get out from under him. Eventually, Dandin stopped, rolling onto his back. Mariel smiled, curling up against him. She enjoyed being near him, she always had.  
  
Dandin smiled broadly, wrapping his arms around her. "Have I told you lately...that I love you?" Mariel shook her head, closing her eyes.  
  
"Yeah...about ten minutes ago." Both mice sat up as a voice sounded from behind them.  
  
"Well, well, well...what d'we have 'ere? Looks like a pair of lovebirds...eh Splitnose" The mice turned as another voice came from behind them.  
  
"Yeah, n'look at the packs they're carryin' I bets they's are full o' vittles" The other beast shoved Splitnose out of the way as he pointed a loaded bow at Dandin.  
  
"Hand 'em over mouse!" Dandin put on a fake, whimpering tone as he spoke to the two rats that stood before them.  
  
"Please spare us sirs, we're just honest travelers who've almost run out of food, all that's in there are a couple of apples, some roots and our blankets." The rat pulled the bowstring taut.  
  
"Then just give us t' one wit' the grub in it mouse!" Wordlessly, Dandin rose, taking the pack off his back. He tossed the pack over to the rat and turned again to face Mariel, one paw outstretched to help her up. With a sadistic grin, the rat let the bowstring go, the arrow flew from the bow, burying itself deep in Dandin's back.  
  
~.~  
  
Dandin lay beside Mariel, watching her sleep. His smile faded as a tear ran down her cheek. gently, he wiped it away, not wanting to awake his sleeping wife. Why was she crying? Just the other day she had given birth to their first child, a son. He grinned as he walked over to the babe's cradle. His smile broadened as the babe awoke momentarily, looking around, he had his mothers eyes. Dandin's attention was once again diverted to Mariel who was beginning to mumble in her sleep. He laid next to her, wrapping his arms around her. She began to toss and turn, her brow creased in worry. Dandin held her body close, only causing her to shiver and push away at him. She sobbed, crying out suddenly as she sat bolt upright in her dormitory bed, crying softly.  
  
Mariel's cry caused another beast to wake up, a mouse named Tobias, a new arrival at Redwall. He rose from his bed, he walked over to her, and past Dandin as if ignoring him. He sat down on the edge of the bed, next to Mariel. He wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Hush now, what's wrong Mariel?" She shook her head, he had only been here for a few weeks, but he knew quite a lot about every beast. She sighed. "It's just that these dreams are getting more and more realistic..." Mariel sighed, closing her eyes. "...you know what I mean?" Dandin bristled, clenching his teeth. "Get your filthy paws off of my wife you gutless idiot." Tobias merely gave Mariel a slight squeeze as he got up "I know Mariel, just try and get some sleep tonight alright?" Mariel nodded, laying down with her eyes closed "alright, I'll try, good night Tobias..." Mariel gave a yawn, laying with her back to Dandin.  
  
"Night-night, sweet dreams."  
  
Once again, Dandin watched Mariel fall asleep and once again, he watched as nightmares gripped her, causing her to toss and turn. Whimpering in her sleep, she finally, she settled on her stomach, one arm hanging loosely over the edge of her bed, something slipped from her grasp, falling to he ground with a faint tinkling as it broke the silence, rising, Dandin walked over to where the object fell, picking it up, carefully her inspected it. It was a ring, a wedding ring at that, nothing fancy really, something a male would wear. Dandin shrugged and placed it back in Mariel's paw, closing her fist gently; he bent down and stroked her cheek, kissing her forehead gently. He straightened and padded silently out of the room, closing the door with a soft click.  
  
~.~  
  
Mariel awoke the next morning the sun shining across her face, slowly, she sat up, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, it was only dawn, and not many beasts where up yet, putting on her borrowed habbit, slowly, she made her way out of the room, making her way towards the front doors. Stepping outside, she shielded her eyes against the early morning sunlight; she strode across the abbey grounds, a specific purpose in mind. Mariel stopped abruptly at her destination, looking at her feet; she inspected the object at her feet, choking out a sob suddenly, she fell to her knees, breaking down slowly, silently, and painfully trying to hold back the tears that flooded down her cheeks.  
  
Tobias watched from the dormitory window, standing beside Rufe Brush, Rufe shook his head slowly "...she's lost without him, scared and alone, like some lost babe..." Tobias nodded in agreement "aye, 'tis true, I comforted her only last night, woke up crying and whimperin' too, it's a wonder her babe didn't wake up..."  
  
Dandin padded silently up behind Mariel, watching her cry, but why was she crying?...even though he was dead, he'd always be there, watching over her, he knelt down beside her, wrapping his arms around her, he knew he couldn't see or feel him, he ran a paw gently through her head fur, watching her scrub tears from her eyes, Rufe and Tobias watched, their mouth's agape, Mariel's head fur was ruffling as it would in the wind, without the slightest breeze.  
  
Mariel sniffed, looking at the tombstone in front of her, she rested her chin on her knees, she closed her eyes, whispering.  
  
"Dandin..."  
  
Dandin felt a slight pain in his heart as he watched Mariel cry. There was only one other time he'd seen her break-down like this and that was a time not too long passed....it was the day when he died...he closed his eyes as he remembered.  
  
When Dandin awoke, he was laid gently on his back in a soft, warm bed. At closer inspection of the room, he realized he was in Redwall's infirmary. As he gazed around the room, the recognition of what had happened hit him?...the arrow...he remembered hearing Mariel sob as she supported him as they continued back to Redwall. His mind was brought back to the present as he heard voices from outside the infirmary. Immediately, he recognized one of the voices, Mariel. He moved his head slightly as he strained to see who the other voices belonged to, he grinned lightly as he watched her being restrained by Skipper and Rufe. She looked fit to throttle somebeast, one of the infirmary assistants hid timidly behind another of Skipper's crew as she continued to deny her entrance to the infirmary. Dandin remained silent, listening to the conversation.  
  
"Let me see him you stupid idiot!" Mariel struggled against the paws that restrained her, giving both beasts a test of their strength. Skipper spoke in a comforting tone to the near hysterical mousemaid, hoping to calm her down  
  
"Easy there marm, give 'im a chance t'rest eh?" Mariel continued to struggle against them, speaking through her clenched teeth her teeth.  
  
"I just want to see my husband! Is that too much to ask?"  
  
"No, not at all, it's just that we think it's best that he rests a while first, y'know...to bring up his strength..."  
  
Dandin struggled to find his voice, finally managing to call out to the group of beasts "Let her in..."  
  
~.~  
  
Dandin's mind was brought back to the present as a voice sounded from behind Mariel. "Ah, Mariel, I thought you'd be out here" Mariel wiped her eyes turning to see the beast approaching.  
  
"Hullo Saxtus" the abbot smiled fondly at Mariel, his heart going out towards his friend.  
  
"Mariel, I understand your pain...Dandin was a good beast, in case you have forgotten, he was my friend..." Mariel nodded, trying her best to hold back her tears.  
  
"It's just hard to believe that he's really gone...this all seems like a bad dream. Like I'll wake up any moment and have him beside me, alive and well..." Saxtus nodded sadly, placing a gentile paw on his friend's shoulder.  
  
"I know Mariel, I know, but you have to realize there is something to live for, you are needed here...there are others here who rely on you for your strength and courage. You have a son, he needs you. Your father would have quite a few words to say to me if he found out that I let you go and give up on life." Mariel gave a weak smile, suddenly hugging her baffled friend.  
  
"You're right Saxtus, I've been acting like an idiot. I need to put this all behind me. I-I just need to get away from here for a while and clear this all from my head..." Saxtus smiled softy, giving Mariel a slight squeeze  
  
"I trust that you'll be leaving soon then?" Mariel nodded, rising slowly as she scrubbed the tear stains on her damp fur.  
  
"Yeah, I need to get out of here as soon as possible"  
  
"I'll have the cooks make up some rations, will you be taking Devon with you?" Mariel shook her head  
  
"No, it's too dangerous out there for him. Please, Saxtus, take care of him for me while I'm gone"  
  
"I will, don't worry, he's in good paws"  
  
"I know."  
  
~.~  
  
Mariel lay beside Dandin's bed, clinging determinedly to his paw as she fought to control her sobbing. "Dandin...t-they say t-that you're dying...y- you can't die, I-I don't know if I could last without you..." Dandin smiled sadly, reaching over as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.  
  
"Mariel, I don't want to leave you, but I have no choice..." A fresh wave of sobs washed over Mariel as she bowed her head to Dandin's paw, burying her face into the fur which she found there.  
  
"Dandin, please, don't leave me." Dandin scooted over giving Mariel room to lay beside him.  
  
"C'mon, Mariel, lie down, I could use you close right now..." Mariel crawled onto the bed beside Dandin, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Try to hold on, please, I can't stand to lose you right now...I need you more than you'd ever know at the moment" Dandin quirked an eyebrow, looking down at her as he drew a shallow breath 'not much more time, by the seasons, not now, I need more time for this...' He rubbed her shoulder, kissing the top of her head.  
  
"Care to let me in on this and let me know what you're talking about?" Mariel drew a quivering breath as she shifted, laying her head on his chest, resting it right above his heart.  
  
"Dandin, I-I'm p-" Mariel paused as she gathered her wits long enough to tell him "we're.....going to be parents...I-I'm pregnant..." Dandin lay awestruck, shocked momentarily at her words. Finally, he hugged her gently, kissing her softly as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Mariel, I'm sorry; I can't stay, I want to, but I can't. Mariel, I love you, I always have, and I always will. I'm sure you'll make a wonderful mother, and I'm sorry that I can't be here to help raise the babe..." Mariel gave a soft sob, hearing his breathing and heartbeat slow.  
  
"Dandin, please, you have to hold on, I need you here...please, try and hold on..." Dandin sighed sadly, taking his wedding ring off his left paw. He handed it to Mariel, cursing and yelling at the unseen force calling him away from his wife to leave him alone, to let him finish saying goodbye.  
  
"Mariel, please don't make this harder than this is to say goodbye. I like this no more than you do, I have told you that I'd take an arrow for this time I did, and it was fatal." Dandin rubbed his tired eyes as he listened to Mariel cry brokenheartedly, pressing her face to his chest. "Mariel, I've held on for nearly three days, I can't hold on for much longer." Mariel held back a sob, clutching at his shirt as she listened to his rapidly fading heartbeat.  
  
"Dandin please, don't leave me..." Dandin struggled to make his voice work, the sound coming out low and raspy as he used his last breaths of life  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
~.~  
  
Mariel stood before the abbey gates, the late afternoon sun shining across the grounds. She turned behind her to crowd of well-wishers gathered to see her off, she grinned as she walked over to the sister cradling Devon in her arms. She removed a necklace from around her neck, a carved wooden leaf hanging from it. Gently the placed it around the babe's neck and said a last, quick goodbye before heading out the main gates and onto the dirt path outside.  
  
Mariel walked until she heard the gates close, she stopped momentarily before turning around, looking back at the abbey before heading off into the woods, unaware of the challenges both physical and mental that lay on the road ahead of her. 


End file.
